


The Extra Mile

by cheritsundere



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Character Study, Chosen One Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Fluff, Gen, Gou is smitten, Humor, M/M, Oblivious Gou, Oblivious Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Pining, Pokemon the movie 2000 references!, Satoshi wants Gou to meet Zapdos again!!!, Shamouti Island!, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, basically I watched the Zapdos episode of Journeys and I couldn't help myself, if the anime is making every past adventure canon why not the movies too!, or at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27348514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheritsundere/pseuds/cheritsundere
Summary: "I've got to say, you guys are a good match."Gou coughed, the slightly sour juice burning the lining of his throat."I mean-" Melody continued, oblivious to Gou's ever-increasingly red face, "-when I called Misty his girlfriend, I mostly meant it jokingly but it went completely over his head anyway-""Misty?" Gou asked, his voice still a little croaky.Melody hummed. "Yeah, you know. Redhead, about this tall, gym leader?" She described the girl in detail, unaware of Gou's racing mind. Wait. He had traveled with THE Misty?! Sure, he knew Satoshi was friends with many gym leaders from all over the world, but to have them along for a trip was totally different. More importantly, why hadn't Satoshi told him? "I...had no idea," Gou said softly to himself."What was that?"Gou jumped a little but glanced back at the girl and her questioning look. "Nothing. I guess there's a lot about Satoshi I still haven't figured out.""I wouldn't be too sure about that," Melody laughed. She watched as Satoshi whispered to her older sister, probably about Gou's surprise. "You know him better than you think."---Satoshi brings Gou to meet some old friends in the Orange Islands.
Relationships: Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 8
Kudos: 209
Collections: Firstfriend/Journeyshipping





	1. It Starts in the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody and welcome to my first Journeyshipping/FirstFriendshipping fic! I mostly came up with the concept for this fic after watching the Zapdos episode and thinking: "You know, it's canon that the Lugia Satoshi and Gou rode on is the same one from the 2000 movie, isn't it? And aren't the islands in that movie right off the coast of Kanto? Satoshi should totally take Gou there to have a rematch with Zapdos." And so, my brain took that and ran with it. I hope both new and old fans of Pokemon can read this and get some enjoyment out of it.
> 
> For those of you following me for my KilluGon fics, don't worry, I plan to add many fics to the Say You'll See Me Again collection this month, but the next few days will be all about this fic. See, this and every other fic I write this month are for the NaNoWriMo challenge but instead of doing a novel, it's just going to be a bunch of fics. This is mostly due to the fact that I'm just doing this as an exercise to improve my writing skills and have fun since I am finally at the point to be ready to write consistently again. I plan for this fic to be 4 chapters with 1700 words, give or take, in each chapter and will be updated tomorrow and the next day. The second chapter for this fic will be added later today when I get back from work. Every chapter will -hopefully, lol - be written on my break and then typed in when I get back home. 
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

If you were to ask Gou to name ten places he’d most like to visit, he’d probably have a hard time choosing. Mt. Silver in Johto and the Lilycove Museum in Hoenn were definitely on the list somewhere, and he would give anything to be able to visit Celestic Town’s shrine. Maybe the Santalune Forest or, heck, almost any place in Galar. There were so many places Gou would die to visit one day, either as a research fellow or just for fun. 

The Orange Islands were nowhere on that list.

“Gou?” Satoshi mumbled out his friend’s name, mouth filled with Mr. Mime’s homemade jelly donuts. He swallowed the bite before continuing, “What’s wrong?”

Gou had tried to keep the disappointment off his face, but it seemed like he had failed to hide his mood from his fellow research buddy. Raboot opened one eye to look up at his trainer as well, as if to follow up on Satoshi’s question with a silent  _ ‘something wrong? _ ’ Gou patted his partner pokemon on the head, thanking it for its concern. “It’s nothing, just…”

It’s not like he  _ hated  _ islands. He liked the beach an okay amount and he downright loved Alola when he and Satoshi visited before, but the Orange islands were a different matter.

“I was hoping we’d go to a place where we’d run into some new pokemon to catch,” Gou admitted, a sad laugh escaping his lips. “Or at least a place with lots of legendary pokemon history. But the Orange Islands are kind of-”

“Boring?” Satoshi finished for him. Gou nodded his head, sighing a little before grabbing a jelly donut himself. 

He didn’t like using that word for it since traveling with Satoshi was physically impossible to be boring, but it was the closest description he could give. The Orange Islands didn’t have anything particularly interesting about them with most of the local pokemon species already in his Pokedex and no legendary pokemon ruins to speak of. He didn’t get why they were even going there in the first place. It was one of their few days off - not that Gou was complaining, he loved his job as a research fellow - but Satoshi had practically dragged him away, saying he wanted to take him somewhere. Satoshi being Satoshi, Gou figured they’d be going to a Pokemon Gym for a world championship challenge or something like that, but wanted him to come along because the local pokemon were ones he hadn’t caught yet, like in Sinnoh or Kalos. Instead, Satoshi had tugged him along to the port before having them board a smaller ferry that was supposed to be specially designed for rougher waters. Once Gou had found that out, he immediately wanted an explanation for why they needed such a boat and the Meoth was out of the bag. 

_ “Well, you see,”  _ He remembered Satoshi saying, scratching his cheek and looking anywhere but Gou’s face,  _ “you need a special boat to get to the Orange Islands.”  _

_ “The Orange Islands?!”  _ he asked in disbelief.  _ “Why there?” _

Satoshi refused to answer him, stating it was a surprise and asking Gou to just trust him. And,  _ of course, _ because Gou was Gou, there was no way he could ask again when Satoshi pulled out the ‘trust me’ card. I mean, come on, who did Satoshi think he was talking to? He trusted him completely. It didn’t matter if Gou had mentioned before he didn’t like the heat or sun that much, or that Satoshi knew he had already been to the Orange Islands before, or that he had caught almost all the species in their home region. If Satoshi was dragging him here, there had to be a reason and that was that. So, the issue was dropped and the trip continued as usual. 

Until Satoshi had caught his lack of enthusiasm over lunch, that is.

“Hm,” Satoshi’s hum returned Gou to the current conversation. He inwardly smacked himself, realizing what he had just said to his friend. Calling the Orange Islands as a boring trip implied he  _ did  _ doubt Satoshi’s decision to go there. That wasn’t what he meant but it still sounded that way.

“I mean - boring isn’t really - I,” he fumbled, trying to fix the situation, but was cut off by Satoshi’s laughter.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! I get what you mean, they  _ are _ kinda boring when you put them next to the Dratini Island or most of Galar. But…” Satoshi trailed off, his mouth twisting weirdly like he was struggling to find the words, “well - you’ll see when we get there! There are some cool islands there, I promise!”

Gou smiled softly. He promised, huh? Well then. It seemed he was just going to have to live with not knowing for another hour or two.

* * *

Sobble gave a small yawn, his big eyes now opening and taking in the blue sky above them. The candy-colored clouds reflecting the water below them greeted the blue lizard pokemon in Gou’s arms, turning into shapes resembling many of the friends they had met on their adventures. He tapped on his trainer’s arm to get his attention and pointed to one such cloud, the familiar silhouette of their newest friend Flygon in its fluffy curves. Gou smiled at the sight with him, searching the skies for more pokemon-like shapes to share with his friend before both of them were immediately pulled out of their daydreams by a ‘PIIII-KAAAAAAAA!’ from the front of the ferry. Following up on Pikachu’s call of their arrival, Satoshi peered over from the cabin down to the deck where Gou and his pokemon partners were relaxing. “Guys, we’re here!” 

Jumping out of his trainer’s arms and landing onto his adopted big brother’s head, Sobble joined Raboot excitedly, ready to lead the way to the front of the boat with Gou right on their tails. Gou followed after them quickly, sharing their giddiness and curiosity as to what their destination island looked like. In a matter of seconds, Gou and his pokemon were standing on the front deck and Satoshi smiled at the three of them now by his and Pikachu’s side. “Well? What do you think?” 

That... was a good question.  “Uh. It’s. Definitely an island.” 

Satoshi frowned. He moved closer to his friend, their cheeks squished together, then pointed to the islands in front in hopes to guide his line of sight. “No. Look, Gou! It’s not just one island, there’s four of them! We’re going to be stopping at the main one first, but yeah! Four islands!”

Gou ignored the heat on his cheeks at their close proximity and raised an eyebrow at Satoshi’s correction. “O-kayyyy so, _four_ islands. And they are special because...?”

Pikachu smirked at him before shaking his head sagely, “Pi pi-kachu pipika pikachu.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” Satoshi sighed, releasing Gou’s shoulder. 

_ ‘Right?’ _ Right about  _ what? _ What the heck did ‘pikapi pikapika’ or  _ whatever  _ even mean?! 

“Sometimes, I hate how in sync you two are, you know that?” Gou sighed, looking to his own pokemon for their support. Sobble gave him a wobbly smile of understanding while Raboot only shrugged.  _ “Gee, thanks,” _ he thought.

“Look, it’ll make sense when we get to Shamouti. Just hold out a little longer, Gou!” Satoshi said before turning and waving to their captain who he apparently knew quite well, telling her thanks for the ride out and asking how much longer it would be until they docked.

Shamouti? He had never heard of that island before. Come to think of it, most boats to the Orange Islands go to Hamlin or Kumquat Island first, but they had passed them a while ago. He pulled out his Rotom phone, holding it up to the island and searching the database for any information about it. On command, Rotom narrated a few facts about their current destination.  “Shamouti island. An island located in the center of the Orange Archipelago, or, as they are more commonly known as, Orange Islands. Surrounding it are the Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands. Every year, Shamouti Island holds the annual Legend Festival.” 

Gou furrowed his brow. Well, _that_ sure was helpful. What kind of festival was it? “Rotom, what is the Legend Festi-”

“Chosen One! You made it!” a loud voice sounded from the shores of the island. Giving up on questioning Rotom for more of an explanation since they were already here, Gou put his phone away and squinted to make out a group of people - well, what he  _ thought  _ was people, at least - crowded around the beach and waving at their ferry. 

_‘_ Chosen One?’ ‘Legend Festival?’ ‘Shamouti Island? _’ Ugh,_ his brain hurt. What was even happening? Why couldn’t Satoshi just tell him this stuff?!

“Hey everyone!!!! Thanks again for having us!” Satoshi cheered, waving an arm at the people who Gou realized, now that they were closer to them, were wearing masks in a variety of colorful shades and markings. Satoshi and Pikachu hopped overboard, landing with ease on the sand and motioning for Gou and the others to join him. “I’m glad we got here on time. It’s been forever since I’ve been in Kanto long enough to come for a visit and we just so happened to have this day off from work too! Lucky timing, right?”

“Work?” A woman’s voice piped up from underneath an orange bird-looking mask. Pikachu scurried over and greeted her, giving a happy ‘chaaa!’ when she scratched under his chin. “Don’t tell me you’ve decided to take up a day job on top of becoming a pokemon master!”

Satoshi laughed at that. “Sorta? Right now I’m a research fellow for Professor Sakurai in Vermillion.” As if suddenly remembering he and Pikachu weren’t the only ones here, Satoshi glanced back and smiled brightly as Gou shyly scooched up beside him, eyes fixed on the masked woman. He placed a hand on Gou’s back, hoping to give his friend a nudge of confidence and assurance. “This is Gou! He’s the one I wanted to show the festival!”

As if on instinct, Gou straightened his back and clasped his hands behind his back. “H-Hello! Um, thank you for having us!” While he didn’t get what was going on, it was obvious that Satoshi had planned this whole trip in advance for some time now and his heart tightened at the implication that his friend went to all this trouble just for him. Satoshi was something else.

The masked woman and her companions silently eyed him appraisingly up and down and then, with a grand motion, removed their masks. A woman with green hair grinned at him, eyes crinkled with warmth and hospitality. 

“It’s nice to meet you Gou; my name’s Carol.”


	2. Then Flows Through the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ignore him,” Melody said, a tone laced with boredom and nonchalance. “I see right through you. Ash may be blind, but I’m not.”
> 
> Blush returning, Gou grumbled into his tart. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
> 
> “Look, if you honestly think you’re fooling anyone, you better get a reality check, kid,” she laughed. “But yeah, don’t take it too hard. Ash didn’t mean anything by it, he just didn’t want me teasing you. I did the same thing to a friend of his back when they all first visited. You remind me of her a lot. Especially the way you guys bicker like an old married couple.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just saw the Sword and Shield episodes and I have many things in my head now that the legends of Galar have heroes who are dressed suspiciously like Satoshi and Gou. I will... be incorporating this, lol.
> 
> Also, just as an aside for this fic: both versions of Satoshi's name - Satoshi and Ash - are canon. This is because I wanted the prophecy mentioned in the movie to still work so, as you'll see, Melody calls him Ash as a nickname. Just wanted to let y'all know in advance.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll see you tomorrow!

There was something special about Shamouti island, Gou decided. Whether it was the cool breeze free of humidity, the surprisingly rich history of the Legend Festival, or the wonderful people that called it home, it just felt…right. Like he was always supposed to visit here somehow. It was a weird feeling, one he couldn't really describe, but these sorts of feelings popped up more times than he dared count ever since meeting Satoshi. Maybe it was fate, or destiny, or something like that. Or maybe he was turning into Satoshi, talking about 'feelings' and 'fate'. 

"...and this is the shrine."

Gou looked up at the beautifully carved rocks, words etched onto their surface and begging him to read them. He checked first with Carol, their guide for the afternoon, before jogging over to read the inscriptions, Raboot and Sobble joining him and trying their best to make sense of the etchings themselves. He ran a finger over the words, reading them out loud mostly for himself and his pokemon. "'Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail-"

"-lest the earth shall turn to ash. O Chosen One, into thine hands, bring together all three. Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea'. Pretty cool, right?" A girl's voice from somewhere above them finished Gou's recitation.

"Melody! It's great to see you again!" Gou turned away from the rock to see Satoshi waving happily at the girl who was, evidently, named Melody. "Are you doing the ceremony again this year?"

The girl jumped from rock to rock gracefully until she landed only a few feet away from Satoshi, a smile planted firmly on her lips. "Ash, it's been a while! And you bet I am - no one else could perform it even half as good as me." Melody confidently twirled, pulling out a small trinket from her purse then putting it up to her mouth and taking a deep breath. A distinct but light song escaped the instrument as Melody's fingers rhythmically moved back and forth to cover the tiny holes on it. Gou awed at the music before registering her words. 

Wait, ' _Ash'_? "Who's Ash?" He turned to ask Satoshi, surprised to see him rubbing his head shyly and then pointing to himself. 

_What._

"It's just an inside joke," Melody hand waved it away, as if that was a good enough explanation before realizing Gou needed more than such a simple answer. "I just call him that because Satoshi and Chosen One are way too long, and because of that line of the prophecy: 'the world shall turn to Ash'. We turned to him so yeah, 'Ash'."

At that, all the gears in Gou's head finally clicked into place. Not once had anyone on the island called Satoshi by his name. _'Ash, it's been a while.' 'Chosen One, you made it!'_

Holy Miltank. 

"You're the Chosen One in the prophecy?!" Gou exclaimed, shocking both Satoshi and the others at the volume of his voice. Raboot and Sobble, for their part, looked just as amazed as their trainer at this revelation. 

Melody leaned over to Satoshi, whispering for only him to hear, and tried to keep a false smile on her face. "You didn't tell him anything about this place, did you?"

Ignoring her question, Satoshi instead looked to Carol with a big grin. “Soooo, dinner?" he asked, doing his best to change the subject. 

Gou and the others sighed. 

\----

Gou watched as Melody sketched a layout of their island, as well as the three others surrounding it. "Ash went to each island and got the orbs in their shrines, then brought them here for us." She labeled each island and then added arrows pointing to Shamouti in the middle to make the explanation clearer. 

"It took a lot of help from Lugia and the pokemon to do it, too!" Satoshi said, taking a Pecha berry from the spread of fruit on their table. “I can’t take all the credit.”

Gou frowned. Even if he didn’t do it all alone, it still didn’t change the fact that Satoshi had fulfilled the prophecy in the first place. Sure, anyone with half a brain could see Satoshi was special, both in skill and personality, but he had no idea it ran this deep. To think that he knew an actual hero of legend, someone who had ended storms and saved legendary pokemon from disasters. Amazing.

And then, a thought flashed through his mind. 

“So then-” Gou dropped his head onto the table, “-no wonder you could hear Lugia when we on his back. Of course, he could talk to you. It all fits now.”

Melody raised an eyebrow at that, silently telling Satoshi to elaborate. Then, after hearing both he and Gou had met Lugia again, she excitedly turned to Gou in astonishment. “No way! You’ve met him as well?”

“Huh?” Well, she wasn’t _wrong_ , but he didn’t really talk to the legendary, unlike Satoshi. “Yeah, I guess.”

“That’s actually how we first met,” Satoshi cut in, probably in an attempt to back up his friend and help explain. “Gou jumped onto his back from a cliff and rode on Lugia’s back with me and Pikachu!”

Wha- “Hold on! You jumped onto him too, Satoshi! Don’t make it seem like _I_ was the only one being reckless here!” Gou wasn’t going to let him get away with framing the situation like that. 

“Okay, but I’m the Chosen One, I was made for danger,” Satoshi proudly declared, puffing up his chest and ignoring Pikachu’s deadpan expression at the comment.

“What about all that ‘I can’t take all the credit’ stuff you _just_ said?!” Gou argued, now out of his chair and standing up with fists curled in defiance. “Other people were helping you when it was dangerous! How was _I_ jumping onto Lugia worse than all that stuff?!”

“That’s different! They acted that way because they had to save the world! You just jumped onto Lugia for fun! That’s _super_ reckless!” Satoshi huffed, also rising from his seat and leaning over the table to shout closer to his friend. Pikachu shook his head in defeat before getting both Sobble and Raboot’s attention and motioning them to come with him to go play while their trainers bickered. 

Melody laughed as she saw the three pokemon head over to the middle of the room, dancing and running together as Satoshi and Gou continued to go on and on about who was the most hot-headed. Their debate reminded her of something, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it until Gou ended the conversation with a huff and pout, crossing his arms together and looking squarely away from Satoshi with every ounce of willpower he could muster. Ah.

“Oh. So _that’s_ why you brought him here,” Melody winked to Satoshi playfully. Gou and Satoshi turned to the girl with confused looks, their argument now forgotten. “Ash, you know I was only kidding back then - I knew she wasn’t your girlfriend. You didn’t have to bring your boyfriend to prove me wrong!”

Without skipping a beat, Gou’s face turned red enough to rival a tamato berry. Boyfriend?!

“I-I’m not!” Gou squawked, eyes flickering back and forth from Melody to Satoshi to make sure his friend didn’t get the wrong idea. Well, the right idea, but it still wasn’t the idea he wanted Satoshi to have! He had been hiding his crush so well up to now, he wasn’t about to let some random girl he just met ruin it in the blink of an eye. He cleared his throat and tried to settle his thumping heartbeat. “I’m not Satoshi’s boyfriend.”

Melody hummed knowingly, her eyes lazily holding his gaze as if in a challenge. “Oh~? It looks that way to me. I mean, you two _obviously_ care about each other by the way you fight.” 

Gou floundered about like a Magikarp out of water. “It’s not like-!”

“Melody, stop.”

Gou froze and looked over to Satoshi. Where his friend was usually always carefree and kind, the expression and tone of voice Satoshi had just used was cold and commanding. Gou had never seen him so serious before, even in the heat of battle. It was almost...scary. It was obvious that Melody also was surprised by the boy’s change in aura and snapped her mouth shut with a click. 

Then, as if someone had flicked a switch, Satoshi grinned at him, adjusting his hat ever so slightly. “It’s okay, Gou. Melody likes joking about stuff like that to tease people. Right?” 

Melody’s eyes focused on Satoshi’s face, studying him as if she was looking for a different meaning in his words. Hesitantly, she broke the eye contact and smiled softly back at Gou, her eyes shifting to a kinder and warmer blue. “Yeah, sorry. I was just messing with you a little. I always do that to new friends.” 

“O-oh. Um, no problem,” he answered wobbly. What had just happened? One second she was gungho trying to prove his crush on his friend and the next she was apologizing. It was obvious that she was lying to his face, only playing it off as a joke because Satoshi had asked her to, but he didn’t get _why_ she was. Was Satoshi really that mad that she could even joke about them being more than friends?

His heart fell. Yeah. That was probably exactly why. Satoshi and him were friends - good friends too, according to Satoshi whenever he’d introduce him to others - but that was it. Just friends. To Satoshi, being anything more than that was probably weird, and he most likely assumed the same was true for Gou, so he told Melody to cut it out. That...made sense. That was the normal way a friend would respond to being called their boyfriend, right? It was normal.

But it still hurt.

“Gou,” Satoshi said, a pat on the back to get his head back to reality, “I’ll be right back, okay? I need to talk to Carol about something.”

Gou nodded, sitting back down and taking a bite of a razz berry tart to settle his turning stomach. There was no reason to be so upset over something as stupid as this. Satoshi didn’t mean anything by it and was just looking out for him as friends did. He wasn’t trying to say there was something wrong with him or that he could never be anyone’s boyfriend, just that Melody was being rude to him by implying they were. If anything, he should be proud that he had a friend like Satoshi in the first place to make sure no one was teasing or bullying him. Yeah, he should be proud.

“Ignore him,” Melody said, a tone laced with boredom and nonchalance. “I see right through you. Ash may be blind, but I’m not.”

Blush returning, Gou grumbled into his tart. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Look, if you honestly think you’re fooling anyone, you better get a reality check, kid,” she laughed. “But yeah, don’t take it too hard. Ash didn’t mean anything by it, he just didn’t want me teasing you. I did the same thing to a friend of his back when they all first visited. You remind me of her a lot. Especially the way you guys bicker like an old married couple.”

M-married?! Okay, that was a little too far, even for his liking. He tried to think of anything to change the subject when it occurred to him that he had never heard of Satoshi’s past traveling buddies. “I remind you of her?”

Sketchbook front and center once again, Melody flipped the page from her doodles of the island layout to a blank canvas and began to outline what Gou figured was Satoshi’s friend’s face. “Mmhmm, she had a big crush on Ash too, of course, in just as much denial as you, and fought with him all the time. She was actually the reason Ash was able to complete the prophecy in one piece. He almost drowned on his way back with the last treasure, but she swam out and saved him, along with Pikachu of course.”

She was...comparing him to someone _that_ incredible? What an honor. If he was even close to someone like her then - Wait.

“So then,” Gou paused, trying to piece everything together. From how Melody described her, Satoshi’s friend seemed really close to him and was even traveling with him from place to place. If that was the case, why hadn’t he ever mentioned her to Gou before? 

“So then, where is she?” Melody asked, one step ahead of him. At Gou’s nod of agreement, she shrugged, popping an Oran berry into her mouth. “Beats me. She probably had to go back home. If you ask me, I think traveling with Ash was just something she wanted to do for fun but wasn’t her big goal in life or anything. I mean, she didn’t strike me as a ‘travel and see the world’ type of person, I think she was just following him around because of her schoolgirl crush. Not that there’s something wrong with that - more power to her - but that sort of thing doesn’t last. Especially with Mr. Chosen One over there. He’s clueless - so it was never going to happen.”

Hearing Melody’s explanation laid out like that brought a sour taste to his mouth. He almost felt...bad for this girl. He knew what it was like to have a crush, on the same person even, and to think she had kept it to herself all that time but traveled with him all the same just to be with him. And Satoshi hadn’t the slightest idea that she liked him that way, did he? Because, if he had known, they would still be together except as a couple instead. And that-

That sent a knife through his heart. _Ah._

He was jealous.

The picture of this girl traveling with Satoshi, her replacing him in every memory and adventure he and Satoshi shared. Her being protected by him with a crowd of Ivysaur and Venusaur. Her traveling on trains with him, laughing, and sharing desserts she picked up from a bakery especially for him. Her traveling back with him to this island, to reminisce about their adventures - about the time she saved his life. 

If she was with Satoshi, Gou never would have met him.

It was terrifying. Jealousy was terrifying.

“...It makes me kinda happy,” Gou admitted, a sad smile on his face. “That’s awful of me, right? To be happy that she went home?”

Melody was quiet for a second and then burst out in laughter, drawing the attention of the neighboring tables and even Carol and Satoshi who were at least thirty feet away. She waved them an apology for her outburst and wiped a tear from her eye, her laughs tapering off. “Oh man, I’m sorry I just. You’re so cute.”

He pouted, cheeks heating up with shame. “You’re mean, you know that?”

“If the worst thing you do in your life is getting happy that Ash is traveling with you instead of someone else, you’re better than most.” She swallowed a bit of water to clear her throat of its previous laughter and turned to take a look over to her sis and their friend. 

Satoshi pointed to something on his phone and Carol nodded, circling something on the screen and giving the boy some sort of explanation. They must have decided when he and Gou would be leaving for Lightning island, or at least be discussing the game plan for tomorrow. She smiled as Satoshi looked up from the phone and drifted his eyes to where Gou and herself sat, a determined sort of glow to his eyes as they landed on the boy next to her. Realizing that he was staring, Satoshi quickly looked away and then back to Carol, as if he came up with something new to add to the schedule after staring at his friend for a bit. She glanced back to Gou by her side, smile widening when she caught him staring back at the boy, in his own little world and unaware that the object of his affections felt the same way.

She chuckled, these boys were hopeless. 

Well, she was just going to have to give them a nudge then, wasn’t she?

"I've got to say, you guys are a good match."

Gou coughed, the slightly sour juice burning the lining of his throat.

"I mean-" Melody continued, oblivious to Gou's ever-increasingly red face, "-when I called Misty his girlfriend, I mostly meant it jokingly but it went completely over his head anyway-"

"Misty?" Gou asked, his voice still a little croaky.

Melody hummed. "Yeah, you know. Redhead, about this tall, gym leader?" She described the girl in detail, unaware of Gou's racing mind. Wait. He had traveled with THE Misty?! Sure, he knew Satoshi was friends with many gym leaders from all over the world, but to have them along for a trip was totally different. More importantly, why hadn't Satoshi told him? "I...had no idea," Gou said softly to himself.

"What was that?"

Gou jumped a little but glanced back at the girl and her questioning look. "Nothing. I guess there's a lot about Satoshi I still don't know."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Melody laughed. She watched as Satoshi whispered to her older sister, probably about Gou's surprise. "You know him better than you think."

Before Gou could ask her what she meant by that, Satoshi was jogging back over and joining them at the table, face full of pure giddiness. Practically bursting at the seams, ready to spill the reasoning for the trip in the first place, Melody did her best to distract them both to help cover for him. “How about we turn in for the night? I’m sure after all the walking you guys did today, you could use the rest for tomorrow.”

On cue, Gou yawned slowly, trying to blink himself awake enough to make it to their rooms. “Sounds good to me. Satoshi?”

Overhearing that they would be heading to bed soon, Pikachu and Raboot made their way back to the table with an already tired and sleepy Sobble in tow. Satoshi smiled at the three pokemon, obviously agreeing that it was past their bedtimes, and nodded at Gou. “Yeah.” 

As they made their way to the island’s cozy bed and breakfast for the night, Gou couldn’t help but think back to Melody’s words. Even after visiting Alola and hearing some childhood stories from Satoshi’s mom when he stayed the night, there was still so much about Satoshi that was a mystery to him. This whole other part of his life that he knew nothing about. Yet, Melody was so confident in declaring that he was wrong, that he knew him just fine. He didn’t get it. Why would she think that? It didn’t add up.

“Goodnight!” Satoshi chirped out, curling under his and Pikachu’s bedsheets. Pikachu snuggled up next to him, taking his favorite place next to his trainer’s head and on the soft pillow. Even with the lights still on, the both of them instantly fell to sleep. Gou smothered a giggle before flicking off the lights and joining Sobble in their own bed, while Raboot plopped himself into a comfy armchair in the room, preferring his own space when he slept. 

As Gou drifted off to sleep, all worries and insecurities about his knowledge of his best friend disappeared, replaced with hope and excitement for the exploration of the island in store for tomorrow. 

Outside their window, beneath the depths of the ocean, a silver-colored pokemon woke from its slumber, sensing a certain presence in his domain. He concentrated, his mind drifting and exploring the souls of his human family on the island to search for the outlier, a wash of nostalgia overtaking him when he located it. There, sound asleep with the electric mouse by his side, was his old friend and savior along with another warm-hearted and familiar young boy sleeping a few feet away. He recognized this one too, his soul still passionate and filled with curiosity in every cell of blood in his body. 

Lugia sang a lullaby for the two, hoping to give them a bit more energy for the morning when he could meet them again. 

_“Sleep well, Chosen Ones.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, kudos and comments are appreciated.


	3. Each of Us Holds the Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Fine.”
> 
> Melody and Carol, along with Pikachu, looked up at that, taken aback by the boy’s declaration. Satoshi shielded his eyes with his hat, a small blush on his cheek. “It’s not a date, but it’s not _not_ a date either. Gou is...different. And hanging out with him is different. So I can’t just say that and have it mean the same thing. He’s-” Satoshi paused, “ _Gou_. He’s not just a friend but he’s not a boyfriend either, he’s just Gou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! For those wondering why there are now 5 chapters instead of 4, I actually ended up making the fic longer by one chapter so I could have another chapter of setup before I get into Gou and Satoshi's adventuring on Shamouti and their arrival at Lightning Island soon after. 
> 
> Also, I realized I never stated when this fic is supposed to take place in the canon of the show. In my head, this takes place after the Zapdos episode, of course, but before episode 42.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Waking up early was one of Satoshi’s least favorite things in the world next to skipping a meal or reading stuffy textbooks - this was no secret to anyone who knew him in the slightest. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t or wouldn’t if the reason for an early morning was a good one. Sure, Pikachu would have to be the one shocking him awake, and even then he might still fall back to sleep if left alone again, but he _could_ wake up before the crack of dawn if he tried hard enough. 

Today was one of those days.

Pikachu sent a ‘loving’ jolt of electricity through his trainer, yawning and brushing the sleep out of his eyes while Satoshi shook the static out of his body, fully alert now and thanking his pokemon for the wake-up call. They both glanced over to the trio a few feet away, checking to confirm they were still asleep. While they had figured Pikachu’s Thunderbolt would no doubt wake up Raboot, the pokemon being a light sleeper ever since its days as Scorbunny, they at least hoped that they had been quiet enough to not disturb Gou and Sobble. Sure enough, Raboot lazily opened an eye at the pair, giving a small murmur to say ‘good morning’ before closing it again to rest. Satoshi peered over to the two forms curled snugly under bed covers, relieved to see them both still out like a light, and quickly shuffled out of the bed. Pikachu and backpack in tow, he gently closed the door behind him and made his way to the front entrance of the inn, eyes bright when landing on Carol and Melody already awake and eating breakfast. Alright, they were up too!

“Oh, good morning, Chosen One,” Carol greeted him with a small but warm smile and pushed over a map of the islands for him to look. In between the artistically rendered drawings of the island and the square grid lines were a few handwritten notes and markings, scribbles that the sisters had worked up the night before. “We figured this would be the best route. This way, Gou can have plenty of time to see the shrines on all the islands, but also arrive at Lightning Island when Zapdos is the most active. In all the years we’ve lived here, he’s always preferred flying at night. What do you think?”

“Piiiiii~” Pikachu wondered at the map, the pokemon’s deep brown eyes taking in every detail despite not completely understanding what the words meant or said. Satoshi would have to say he felt the same way, taking a good look at the whole plan laid out in front of him. 

“Wow, awesome!” he marveled, “Thank you both!”

“Eh, don’t mention it.” Melody chomped on her toast, her eyes and voice still half asleep it seemed. “We wouldn’t be very good hostesses if we couldn’t even come up with a sightseeing route for our guests. And anyway, I love planning dates.”

Satoshi wrinkled his nose. “It’s not a date. I told you yesterday-”

“Yeah, yeah. He’s not your boyfriend, I get it. But come on, Ash. It’s just us here. You suck at lying so just be honest, okay?” 

“Melody,” Carol warned, a maternal glare in her eyes. 

“Fine.”

Melody and Carol, along with Pikachu, looked up at that, taken aback by the boy’s declaration. Satoshi shielded his eyes with his hat, a small blush on his cheek. “It’s not a date, but it’s not _not_ a date either. Gou is...different. And hanging out with him is different. So I can’t just say that and have it mean the same thing. He’s-” Satoshi paused, “ _Gou_. He’s not just a friend but he’s not a boyfriend either, he’s just Gou.”

The sisters remained hushed at that, not quite sure how to respond. Pikachu himself seemed both proud and confused by his trainer’s answer, a twinkle in his eyes and ears twitching in happiness. 

“I knew it,” Melody said with a hint of pride but also understanding in her voice. “I told sis yesterday after seeing the two of you at the pre-festival dinner. I could tell you liked him, especially after you pulled that ‘serious’ mode when I called him your boyfriend.”

Recalling the incident, Satoshi’s face turned serious again. “You shouldn’t have said that, you know. Gou isn’t good with those sort of jokes and he’s nervous around strangers. I even asked Professor Sakurai why he was like that and he and Koharu said it was because he used to be teased when he was little. The last thing I want him to worry about is someone thinking us being this close of friends is weird or bad.” 

“Pikapi…” Pikachu comforted his trainer with a pat on his cheek before rubbing their cheeks together and sending a bit of static his way affectionately. Satoshi smiled at him, eyes a little watery from holding back his tears after talking about such a heavy topic. 

Watching the two of them, Melody’s pride in her own skills of observation turned to a sense of guilt, now fully aware as to why Satoshi had acted the way he did yesterday. It hadn’t crossed her mind in the slightest that Gou had been teased in a less than friendly way before and might see her words in that way. Thinking back on it, knowing what she knew now, it was callous of her to say that to someone without knowing them well enough to joke like old friends. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I guess I took it a little too far.”

“No, it’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it like that, and you stopped as soon as I asked you to.” 

The two of them exchanged smiles, silently coming to an agreement to leave the past in the past and drop the subject for a more constructive topic like their plans for the day. Pikachu hopped off of his trainer’s shoulder, landing on top of the map and reviewing the notes. As Satoshi was about to join him, however, he heard a calm and distinct voice whisper in his head.

_“The sea...Let us talk...I await.”_

Satoshi’s heart sped up when he placed who the voice sounded like. Abandoning the map, he raced out the door with purpose - the call of an old friend beckoning him to the shore. Melody and Carol yelled out in concern, asking where he was going, while Pikachu’s ears perked up scurrying to follow his trainer when he realized what was going on. “It’s him, right, buddy?” Pikachu, now running alongside him, agreed with his prediction, excitement visible in the many sparks flying from his cheeks. As the two of them neared the coastline, there was no doubt to be had. Sitting there in all his glory, calmly sitting and watching the tides roll in with hundreds of his fellow pokemon gathered around him was the legendary.

“Lugia…” Satoshi’s eyes twinkled, “it’s you.”

_“Old friends, it is good to see you now that we have time to chat at our leisure.”_

Pikachu trilled in agreement, happy to see the Beast of the Sea again. Their reunion was quick and messy in Vermillion, especially considering he and Satoshi couldn’t talk to him without seeming strange to their fellow passenger, Gou. Not to mention, it was a surprise to see him there that day in the first place, the legendary far from home and in a city no less. In fact, now that Satoshi thought about it -

“Why were you in Vermillion before?”

Remembering the encounter, Lugia seemed to grow hesitant. Satoshi furrowed his brow in worry. Maybe something had happened? 

_“I am...unsure as to whether it’d be best to tell you yet,”_ Lugia explained, thoughtfully. _“I do not wish to tempt fate. However, be at ease, friend. The reason was only a joyous one - to see if the other legends were true.”_ The other legends? Pikachu mirrored Satoshi’s confusion, cocking his head to the side with a ‘pika?’ Lugia chuckled at their expressions but refused to elaborate on the matter. _“In good time, all will be revealed. I assure you.”_

Deciding that answer would have to do for now, Satoshi instead focused on why Lugia had reached out. He was overjoyed to see him regardless but it wasn't every day a legendary rang you up telepathically just to say hi. "So, is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Eyes gentle and body relaxed, Lugia’s seemed to be happy at the subject change. _“Your companion. The young man who I met before in Vermillion.”_

Satoshi raised his eyebrows. “Gou?”

_“I see, so that is his name. Gou, then. Zapdos had informed me of their battle. He was impressed with his determination and bond to his partner pokemon, remarking that he wished he would be challenged by them again someday. Once I felt you and he in the vicinity, I hoped I could speak with him this time. Would that be acceptable?_

“Of course!” Satoshi grinned, pride swelling in his chest. He knew Gou was amazing and to hear that two legendaries thought so as well took the cake. “I’ll go get him right now! Pikachu, stay here with Lugia, okay?”

“Pi!” Pikachu watched together with Lugia as the boy climbed back up the cliffside stairs and disappeared inside the inn, both of the pokemon waiting patiently for his return with the others. “Pika pikachu pi pika pikachu?”

_“Yes. I’m confident that is the case. Gou’s aura is remarkably similar to Him, just as Satoshi’s is to the other hero. It appears the time has come. Will you watch over them, as you always have?”_

“Pi.”

* * *

“Gou! Gou! Wake up, Gou!” Satoshi watched as his friend’s eyes fluttered, adjusting to the brightness in the room. He shook the boy’s shoulder again to make sure he was awake and grinned wide as Gou finally sat up - still half asleep but good enough. “Come on, I want you to meet someone.”

Gou yawned together with Sobble, then grabbed his phone to see the time. “At 6 in the morning? Can’t it wait?”

“No, you gotta come now!” He could barely contain himself as Gou relented, pulling back the covers and stretching the sleep from his bones. “Ready?”

“Huh?” Gou pointed to the bathroom. “Shouldn’t I brush my teeth before we-”

“No time!” Satoshi grabbed Gou by the hand, partly dragging, partly leading his friend out the front doors to the inn and down to the shoreline, Raboot and Sobble following not far behind. He ignored both Gou’s protests and the warm hand he was holding, concentrating only on getting his research buddy to Lugia as soon as possible.

“S-satoshi!” Gou yelled, his voice a little wobbly. “Where are we go…” His question trailed off, the sight of Lugia, Pikachu on his head, and at least a hundred water pokemon swimming beside him. Satoshi smirked, knowing exactly what was running through his friend’s brain right about now. “Lugia?!”

“Ta-dah! See, aren’t you glad I woke you up- hey!”

Gou dashed off quickly, the idea of seeing and meeting Lugia again probably the only thing in his mind. Laughing at how single-minded his friend could be, not that he was one to talk, Satoshi waited for Raboot and Sobble to catch up - the two pokemon slightly out of breath from running so much just after waking. Pikachu called out to him, making sure that he was coming as well. He waved back, letting his partner know they’d be there soon but immediately changed his attention to Gou and Lugia, the pair already talking and introducing themselves, he guessed. He felt his lips twitch into a smile, a nice and comfortable heat settling in his belly at the sight, unaware that Gou’s pokemon had already caught up to him until Raboot tapped on his leg. He jumped at the touch but then immediately relaxed, grinning down at the two. “Sorry, sorry! Ready to go?” 

The two pokemon nodded and the trio raced over to join the group, Satoshi’s stomach returning to normal and his sights set on Lugia instead of Gou once more.

Of course, as Gou turned around, smile wide and a light dusty pink on his cheeks, the fire inside him was ignited yet again. “Satoshi! Zapdos told Lugia about me! Can you believe it?!”

Satoshi felt the fire move to his cheeks and he had to readjust his hat to shade his eyes from Gou’s blinding smile. Yeah, he had no trouble at all believing Zapdos did. 

After all, Satoshi talked about him all the time too.


	4. And Changes the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History and ruins were boring, all things considered. Ancient writing on the wall, myths, and artifacts were great and all, but Satoshi knew his limits well enough, and figuring out what they meant or said went way over it. He would stick to going in and finding the fossils for Professor Oak or Sakurai to research instead - he was good at that. Although, he had to admit, if anyone could make it look fun, Gou could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this came out later than planned, the internet at my house was out. The next chapter should be out tomorrow!

Salt tended to be an awful taste in the mouth, but when accompanied by a sea breeze it was one of Satoshi’s favorite sensations he had ever felt. It reminded him of his home away from home, Alola, even if the view he was currently looking at was pretty different. No, where Alola’s sand was paler and radiated the sun’s heat, Shamouti’s was muddier in color and rocky, jetties springing forth and jutting out to meet the sea. Tides were calmer here as well, probably because of Lugia’s influence. Still, Satoshi loved it all the same - water being a welcome addition to the landscape no matter what form it took.

It was even more beautiful when one of his favorite people in the world was standing in it, the reflection of the waves dancing on his face and deepening the hue of the boy’s crystal clear eyes. If it wasn’t for all the sights to see and places to be today, Satoshi could stay in this moment - Gou jumping waves with Sobble on his head and asking Lugia all about Mew - forever. Sadly, though, they had to be back to Professor Sakurai’s by tomorrow so he tore his eyes from the sight to check the time. 8:26, huh? Satoshi considered how long their shrine visits would take.

Eh. They had a few more minutes before they had to leave.

“-so then, if Mew usually stays on that island, since it isn’t on any of our maps and is free of humans, how - or, I mean,  _ why -  _ did I see it that day at Professor Oak’s?”

Satoshi’s ears perked up at that. Wait, Gou never said he saw it in Pallet Town, just that he saw it when he was little. That meant-!

“Ah!” Satoshi exclaimed, gaining both Gou and Lugia’s attention. “Maybe it hides out near Pallet Town too!”

Confusion on his face, Gou asked for a little more of an explanation. “Does something else hide in Pallet?”

The image of Ho-oh flying overhead himself and Pikachu the day they first met entered Satoshi’s mind gently, the reminder of its golden wings and the rainbow around it clear as if it happened yesterday. He smiled and nodded. “Yeah! Pikachu and I both saw Ho-oh just outside of Pallet when we started our adventure. Maybe there’s a place that legendaries like to rest there, someplace people can’t see or visit right near my hometown! That could be it!”

Although initially shocked at the news that they had seen Ho-oh - which was funny to Satoshi, considering he had already seen other legendaries like Mew and Zapdos and they were talking to Lugia right  _ now -  _ Gou turned thoughtful, placing a hand on his chin and tightening his brow in concentration. He hummed, trying to make sense of Satoshi’s experience and wondering if his suggestion might hold water. “It’s possible. It does seem like too much of a coincidence. I mean, what are the chances - both of us meeting legendaries in your hometown? Lugia, do you know anything about it?”

Lugia closed his eyes, a calm anticipation in the air.  _ “I am afraid I cannot comment on my friends’ reasoning for leaving their domains. As Shamouti is both my and the other’s home, Mew’s is on the island I mentioned before while Ho-oh resides in Johto’s skies, watching over the land. I know not why either would be in Pallet.”  _ Gou’s face fell, slightly disappointed that their theory was off, but Satoshi remained unconvinced. He wasn’t sure what it was in Lugia’s tone, but it felt like he was hiding something from the two of them. Sensing his doubt, Lugia met his gaze and held it, as if trying to silently voice an affirmation that there was more to his answer than met the eye. The legendary slowly shook his head and whispered into Satoshi’s mind alone, calmly and softly.  _ “Remember, all will be revealed in time. Have faith.” _

Figuring now as good a time as any, Satoshi decided their visit with Lugia should come to an end. He motioned to Pikachu, signaling his electric friend to bring Raboot and Sobble while he would grab Gou. The trio of pokemon skipped up to the cliffside stairs, waiting patiently for their trainers. Taking one last mental picture to frame in his memories, Satoshi watched the last inch of the sunrise above the water to cascade rays of light against Gou’s figure. Like this, Gou looked more like a legendary being than the beast of legend beside him. “Gou?” 

The boy looked up, now realizing he was the only one still by the water. “Oh...are we leaving?” He looked up to Lugia, gaze wistful and sad to leave the Beast of the Sea so soon. 

Satoshi was sure his friend still had so many more questions to ask, but out of courtesy for Lugia and knowing what else was lying in wait for them today, it was best they say their goodbyes. Ankles just above the shallows, Satoshi gently tugged on Gou’s hand in an attempt to guide him back to land and onwards towards their planned excursion for the day. Relenting, Gou followed ashore, slipping on his shoes with Satoshi now that they were once again on dry land. He turned around to look at Lugia one last time, holding back the mist in his eyes with the promise that they would see each other again someday. His fingers woven between Satoshi’s tightened, an unspoken request for courage in saying farewell. Satoshi squeezed back. 

“See you soon, Lugia!” Satoshi said, smiling wide at the pokemon. 

“Don’t forget us, okay. Promise?” Gou called out, a previously held tear escaping his eye.

Lugia spread his wings, wind gathering with power and focus beneath him, and lifted from the ground before taking to the skies. Elegantly, he dived back downward, ready to plunge his body into the blue depths for slumber once more but, before he did, a vow echoed in Satoshi and Gou’s minds.

_ “I could never forget souls such as yours.” _

* * *

History and ruins were boring, all things considered. Ancient writing on the wall, myths, and artifacts were great and all, but Satoshi knew his limits well enough, and figuring out what they meant or said went way over it. He would stick to going in and finding the fossils for Professor Oak or Sakurai to research instead - he was good at that. Although, he had to admit, if anyone could make it look fun, Gou could. 

“Satoshi, look! Right here,” Gou pulled out his Rotom phone excitedly, hunched over the Lightning shrine and inspecting every inch of rock in front of him. Snap after snap, it seemed Gou couldn’t take enough pictures of the surface - taking so many perspectives that Satoshi could only imagine how little memory his phone had left. “The stone is charged almost like a magnet! You can even see the sparks like mini thunderstorms - See! It did it again! I wonder if it’s because of Zapdos or if Zapdos chose this island as his shrine because the rocks are like this and it charges him up and-”

Aaaand there he went again. Pikachu chirped up at him, also finding Gou’s ramblings entertaining to watch - unlike Gou’s pokemon who weren’t as enthused to be on this island. Sobble himself had been less than comfortable around so much lightning when they first came so his trainer immediately recalled him to the waiting and secure arms of his pokeball while Raboot had jogged on ahead, interested in something beyond the Lightning Orb’s shrine. It was obvious what the rabbit pokemon was interested in to everyone - the unmistakable feeling of a storm signaling that Zapdos might be somewhere near - but Gou trusted his pokemon would let him know if the bird showed himself and decided to take his time reaching the peak of the island instead. While Satoshi knew Gou was dying for another opportunity to catch the legendary bird of thunder, it was left unsaid between the two of them that there was no need to rush, that he wanted to take his time exploring all that the shrines near Shamouti had to offer - both to report back to Professor Sakurai and for himself. 

It was as if every new thing Gou learned about pokemon added another year to his life. How could Satoshi  _ not  _ give him this chance,  _ not  _ let him document and investigate every nook and cranny of this place?

“I got it, I got it! Look-!” Gou rushed over to Satoshi, unconsciously grabbing the trainer’s arm when he arrived and pulling him closer to get a better view of his phone. Satoshi failed to keep a content smile off his face at the contact but looked at the Rotom screen in front of him regardless, curious about what Gou was so hyped about showing him. “I can’t wait to show the professor!”

Tiny blue sparks jolted and waltzed from one shard of rock to another, reminding Satoshi of a tennis match but with lightning instead - the current ebbing back and forth endlessly on loop. Pikachu jumped up to see the video as well, releasing a tiny sound of awe at the footage along with him. “That’s so cool!”

“Right?!” Practically beaming, Gou pulled away, already emailing the footage to the lab as a backup. 

Satoshi muffled a laugh when he thought about the first time Gou had caught something rare on video but ran out of memory and deleted it instead. Although he mostly felt bad for him, Satoshi would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t find the way Gou pouted and complained all day about his mistake cute. It actually reminded him of a Pichu finding out it ate its last poffin, but he’d never tell Gou since the last time someone had called him cute it only made him angrier. And really angry was the last thing he wanted Gou to be. 

He wouldn’t mind seeing Gou a little embarrassed though. “Make sure you don’t click ‘delete’ instead!” he said, playfully reminding him. 

Gou scowled, a light blush on his cheek, “You aren’t ever going to let that go, are you?”

A grin. “No-pe!”

“Ugh, fine. I guess you can have that one but just remember that next time you do something stupid I’m going to-” The next instant seemed to slow down to a halt, the world around Gou in black and white and not a single sound to be heard - the rocks below him crumbling and falling into the unknown below them. “Satoshi?!”

Without even a second to think, Satoshi reached forward and clung to the boy’s torso, pulling him closer with all his might and onto the steady ground. He shut his eyes instinctually, afraid that if he opened them he would only see himself and Gou falling to their end, but after seconds of nothing but the rhythm of two matching heartbeats against his chest, he relented. Hesitantly, Satoshi opened his eyes and focused his vision, relieved that they were safe and right where they started with only an empty pitfall inches away to prove the scare had happened. His body finally relaxing, Satoshi breathed out, releasing air he hadn't realized he had been holding this whole time. His whole body was tense - arms mechanical and locked in place around the boy against him. Which reminded him-

“Gou?! Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?” Satoshi panicked, finally loosening the hold he had on his friend. He looked down, anxiety increasing with Gou’s lack of response but was quickly replaced with that same flame from that morning - a wildfire flaring up to reach even his heart now. 

Satoshi searched his brain, trying to remember any time they had ever been this close. Gou hadn’t been shy around him for a while now, reciprocating Satoshi’s side hugs and even initiating casual touches himself. They had also saved each other like this before - Gou saving him from that Dynamax Snorlax and the other way around when Aerodactyl almost hit Gou. This though...

This was different.

Clutching to his shirt, knuckles white as a sheet, was Gou. His eyes were opened wide in disbelief, his body probably still in shock from their close call and unconvinced of their safety, and Satoshi could still feel the thump, thump, thumping of the boy’s heart beating relentlessly against his rib cage. Shallow breaths came out choppy, slightly out of sync with one another but wordlessly communicating the genuine fear they had both shared in the last few seconds and saying all they really needed to. 

Maybe for the first time in his life, Satoshi didn’t know what to say.

Then, like a spell had been lifted, Gou’s pulse quickened and Satoshi watched as the boy’s coloring turned red before his very eyes before releasing the shirt in his clutches. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to - I mean. I wasn’t watching where I was going and the land was - and thank you and I just-” 

Satoshi felt his lips twitch, a smile threatening to appear as the now red-faced trainer still in his arms fumbled around, his words a jumbled mess. “I’m glad you’re okay, Gou.”

At that, Gou’s mouth clamped shut, all words dying on his tongue. Then, forgetting any regret he might feel later or the fact that this could be another embarrassing story he’d never let him forget, Gou wrapped his arms around Satoshi’s neck and closed his eyes, whispering something in his ear. He jumped up immediately after and offered Satoshi a hand, acting the same as ever and already talking about how they should ‘hurry and meet back up with Raboot’ because he was ‘probably worried’ about them, but it didn’t register. Instead, for the next ten-minute walk to the peak of Lightning Island, all Satoshi could hear were Gou’s words on repeat - his voice hushed yet somehow louder than ever in that moment.

_ “Thank you for always being here, Satoshi.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always!

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, the title of this fic and the chapter titles are lyrics from some of the Pokemon the movie: 2000's soundtrack songs, such as "the Extra Mile" and The Power of One". You can find all the songs from the movie on youtube if you are feeling nostalgic or just want to have some good background music while reading. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. See you all soon!


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